28 December - Joint statement by the UN in Syria, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross

The UNITED NATIONS IN SYRIA
THE SYRIAN ARAB RED CRESCENT
AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS

ON THE EVACUATION OF INJURED PEOPLE AND RELATIVES IN SYRIA’S IDLEB AND RIF DAMASCUS GOVERNORATES

Syria: Over 450 people including injured evacuated from hard to reach and besieged towns

Damascus (28 December 2015) - The United Nations (UN) in Syria, in partnership with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have successfully facilitated the evacuation of more than 450 people including the injured and their accompanying family members, following a local Agreement concerning the Syrian towns of Foua, Kafraya in Idleb and Zabadani and Madaya in Rif Damascus.

While the United Nations and partners are not party to the Agreement, the humanitarian actors are keen to see its provisions implemented as people in these towns live in a difficult situation, and the injured people urgently need medical assistance.

Earlier today, the UN in Syria, SARC and ICRC carried out coordinated tasks, which led to the evacuation of 338 persons from the towns of Foua and Kafraya, and 126 people from the towns of Zabadani and Madaya. They were simultaneously evacuated by land and air through Turkey and Lebanon to the agreed final destinations where those requiring longer term medical care will receive it.

Through the facilitation of the UN, SARC and ICRC in Syria, and in close coordination with the ICRC in Lebanon, the Lebanese Red Cross, the UN in Turkey and Lebanon and IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, an NGO partner in Turkey, the injured were transported out of Syria to Lebanon where thorough medical checks were conducted and urgent medical assistance was provided.

“The humanitarian community in Syria is keen to see the swift implementation of the next phases of the Four Towns Agreement including humanitarian access to people in these towns,” said Yacoub El-Hillo, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria. “We stand ready to continue providing relief and livelihoods assistance to the millions of people wherever they are in Syria as they bear the brunt of this crisis,” El Hillo added.

“Today’s humanitarian action shows that even in the middle of fierce conflicts, agreements can be reached, solely for the purpose of alleviating human suffering,” said Marianne Gasser, Head of the ICRC Delegation in Syria. “Parties involved in the fighting, must allow access by humanitarian actors to all people who have been affected by years of fighting, especially to those in besieged and hard to reach areas, “she continued.

Dr Abdul Rahman Attar, the President of the SARC said: “Access to medical care is a right of every wounded person regardless of which side they belong to. SARC’s teams of volunteers, first-aiders and ambulances were heavily involved in the various stages of this operation inside Syria.”

On his side, the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said that the UN’s clear goal is to reach, as soon as possible a nationwide ceasefire. “Meanwhile, initiatives like this one bring relief to besieged or isolated communities and have great value,” de Mistura said. “They help the perception that a nationwide ceasefire brokered by the members of the International Syria Support Group is doable and that the UN can and will do its part.”

Across Syria, around 4.5 million people living in hard-to-reach areas continue with limited access to basic life-saving assistance and protection. Almost 400,000 of them live in besieged areas with little or no access to basic supplies or assistance. The United Nations and partners continue to urge all parties to the conflict to find a political solution, and to ensure unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access.
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26 December - Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Special Envoy for Syria
Further to resolution 2254 (2015) of the Security Council, unanimously adopted on 18 December 2015, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, has intensified efforts towards convening representatives of the Syrian Government and the broadest possible spectrum of the Syrian opposition and others to engage in a political process leading towards implementation of the objectives and principles for a political solution to the Syrian conflict as contained in the Geneva Communique of 30 June 2012, and the Vienna Statements of 30 October and 14 November 2015.

In line with the clear parameters outlined in Security Council resolution 2254 (2015), the Special Envoy intends to complete his consultations in early January, with a view to initiating intra-Syrian talks on a target date of 25 January 2016 in Geneva. He counts on full cooperation of all the relevant Syrian parties in this process. Continuing developments on the ground should not be allowed to derail it. The Special Envoy also relies on the continued crucial support of the International Syria Support Group.

The people of Syria have suffered enough. Their tragedy is now felt throughout the region and beyond. They deserve the full attention and commitment from all their Syrian representatives, who should now show leadership and vision to overcome differences for the sake of Syria.

Geneva, 26 December 2015.11 December - International Syria Support Group meeting24 November: Statement attributable to the spokesperson of the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria14 November - Statement of the International Syria Support Group6 November - Statement attributable to the Spokesperson of the Special Envoy for Syria30 October - Vienna Communique on Syria2 October - Statement Attributable to the Spokesperson of the Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura

Today the UN had to suspend its planned humanitarian intervention as part of the implementation of the ceasefire agreement on Zabadani, Madaya, Fua, and Kefraya due to the recent surge of military activities in the concerned areas.

The UN team and humanitarian partners, in fact, had made all necessary preparations and were in place to immediately implement the humanitarian provisions of the agreement.

The Syrian population in these affected areas is waiting for this agreement to be implemented so that needed humanitarian assistance can be provided to end their long-standing suffering.

The UN calls on all concerned parties to fulfill their responsibilities in the protection of civilians and reach the necessary understandings in order to implement this agreement as soon as possible. The UN reaffirms its commitment to the protection of civilians and remains ready to assist.

22 September - Statement attributable to the Spokesperson of the Special Envoy for Syria13 September - Statement of the Special Envoy for Syria to the Ministerial meeting of the League of Arab States

10 September - Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria1st September - Special Envoy for Syria met with the Deputy Foreign Minister of Arab African Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran17 August - Special Envoy for Syria condemned yesterday's air raids on the town of Duma 14 August - Special Envoy for Syria condemns shelling of Damascus Suburbs12 August - Special Envoy for Syria welcomes the release of human rights activist and journalist5 August - Secretary-General encouraged by Security Council’s support for latest proposal on SyriaSpeaking to the press following his meeting with President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. on 4 August, the Secretary-General said he was encouraged by the strong support expressed by the Security Council for the proposal presented on 29 July by Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura to establish four thematic groups to operationalize the Geneva communiqué. “We will try to expedite -- to provide some political solution to this, operationalizing the Geneva communiqué. At the same time, we are doing our best effort to provide humanitarian assistance to needy people” the Secretary-General said.

5 August - Special Envoy explains his proposal on thematic discussions29 July - Remarks by the Secretary-General to the Security Council on the situation in Syria29 July - Special Envoy for Syria briefs Security Council on the situation in Syria

23 July22 July21 July20 July15 July14 July13 July11 July10 July2 July26 & 27 June25 & 26 June19 June18 June16 June
Within the framework of the Geneva Consultations, Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy met today with representatives of the Syrian Federation for Human Rights Organizations and Bodies and the National Democratic Action Committee, Ms. Mais El Krydee, Mr. Mahmoud Marai and Mr. Jwan Alyoussef. They briefed Mr. Ramzy on the overall situation on the ground as well as on the situation in the area of human rights in Syria. They also shared views and perspectives for a political solution to the conflict in Syria.15 June11 June10 June9 June8 June5 June4 June2 June
In the framework of the Geneva Consultations, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, met today with Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church, who presented his views about the peaceful future of Syria and its various communities.
“It is very important that the voices of the religious leaders and their communities be heard and taken into account as we search for peace in Syria. Their representatives have an essential to role play in promoting peacemaking and reconciliation in the Syria of tomorrow", Mr de Mistura said after the meeting.

1 June30 May29 May28 May27 May24 May22 May21 May12 May
The UN Spokesperson told reporters on 12 May that Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, held consultations with the Chairman of the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change (NCC), Hassan Abdel Azim, as well as with the Chairman of the Building the Syrian State political party, Louay Hussain. At the conclusion of these consultations, Mr. de Mistura stressed that it was critical to reach out to Syrian political actors. “No one more than the Syrians themselves recognize the urgency of bringing the conflict to an end”, he stated. As part of ongoing consultations, the Special Envoy met over the past week with delegations from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and France as well as with former Special Envoy Kofi Annan. Mr. de Mistura also met with various Syrians, including representatives of civil society and religious leaders to hear further views and perspectives on ways to resolve the conflict.